Awning.



PATBNTBD 00T. I5, 1907.

I'. THOMS.

AWN ING.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 29, 1907.

/Nl/E/VTOR TTNEYS FRIEDERIOH THOMS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

AWNING.

Specification of Letters Patent. i

Patented Oct. 15, 1907.

Application fired January 29,1907. serial No. 354,733.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, FRIEDERICH THoMs, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAwnings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to awnings, and more particularly to an improvementupon a certain feature of construction described in Letters Patent No. 789,639 granted to me May 9, 1905, Such feature is the strip underlyingand closing the space between two separate sections of awning, thelatter being wound upon and unwound from a Continuous awning shaft,andhaving their free edges secured to a continuous awning board whichextends along the whole length, and is provide with proper supportingdevices which permit it to be raised and lowered.

My present invention relates only to the underlying and independentawning strip shown in said patent. The arrangement for operating saidstrip has been found defective under some circumstances its springroller being entirely independent of the awning shaft and depending forits efficiency upon the integrity of the spring. Thus in a storm whenthe wind acts strongly beneath the awning and upon the awning strip, itis difficult to cause the said awning and the said strip to move easilyand freely to their proper position, and

this is particularly true where the spring has become rusted anduncertain in its action by reason of a considerable exposure to theweather, The defect therefore, of the construction shown in said patentis the fact that the movement of the covering strips, which shouldfollow the awning as the latter is raised and lowered, may be impededand obstructed by the causes above suggested.

The object of the present invention is to do away with any independentmeans for operating or for releasing the covering strips, and instead,to connect them to the awning shaft itself, so that they will bepositively operated from that shaft in both directions, although theyhave the usual independent mounting.

An embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure l is a perspective view of a closed awning, broken away to someextent to show the relation between two adjacent `awning sections, 'andthe underlying covering strip. Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the endsof two awning sections in proximity, the underlying strip, and one formof position connection between the awning shaft and the shaft upon whichthe said strip is wound. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are similar views showingmodified but equivalent connections between the awning shaft and theshaft of the covering strip.

Since the construction, means of support and means of operation of theawning itself form no part of the present invention and are fully setforth in the patent referred to, I have considered it necessary only toindicate the essential parts pertaining thereto, using for convenienceand where possible identifying numerals used in said patent. Thus I haveshown boards l and 2 having suitable brackets in which is `journaled theawning shaft 4, which` carries, and upon which is wound, and from whichis unwound any number of separate awning sections I7 and 18. The freeedges of these sections are secured to the awning board I9, which may beprovided with the same arrangement of connected supports and braces asare shown in the patent. The awning shaft may be and is, preferablydriven in the manner shown in the patent, but for the purposes of thepresent invention, the actual manner of revolving the awning shaft andof supporting the awning board are immaterial.

Beneath a point where any two awning sections as ]7 and I8 come intoproximity upon the awning shaft, and upon the board l of the supportingstructure are brackets 23 in which is journaled a shaft 5 upon which iswound the underlying covering strip 6. The free edge of this strip issecured to the awning board 19. Instead of being retracted by a spring,as in the patent referred to, the shaft 5 is so geared to the awningshaft, as to make it a part of the whole system of Winding andunwinding, and therefore to compel it, through suchl positiveconnection, to Wind or to unwind under Y the direct control of theawning shaft itself. This positive connection is made by gearing theshaft 5 t0 the awning shaft and such gearing can be. of different kinds,all adapted to accomplish the same purpose of having the main awningshaft control the shaft of the underlying covering'strip. Thus in Figs.l and 2, the awning shaft between the approaching ends of the awningsection, has a spur pinion 7 which engages with a similar pinion, in abracket 8 upon the support l. By means of universal joints shown at 9, aconnecting rod l0 is connected to two spur gears ll and l2, the gear l2being upon the shaft 5.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the application of bevel gears from the awningshaft to the shaft 5, a simple arrangement of transmitting from bevelgears to spur gears being also shown.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a sprocket chain 13 extending from the main shaftto a counter-shaft 14, the latter having spur gearing for driving theshaft 5.

In Fig. 5 I have shown an example of spiral gearing, one spiral toothedwheel being upon the main shaft and the other (in dotted lines) belowit. In this case, bevel gearing l5 on suitable shafts transmit to spurgearing which directly drives the shaft 5.

In all these cases some suitable gearing of which I have shown examplesmay be used for making a positive connection between the awning shaftand i the shaft of the underlying and covering strip. The

disadvantages of the spring roller are entirely obviated and l am ableto use the sectional awning with its intennediate underlying coveringstrips, without fear of accident ofany kind preventing the properworking of Such strip.

What I cla-im is:

1. In an awning, a main shaft extending the whole length of thestructure, main awning sections thereon having their adjacent edges inproximity, a relatively short shaft near any two of such adjacent edges,a covering strip, shortA relatively to the awning sections, and adaptedto be wound upon said short shaft, and gearing between the awning shaftand each short shaft.

2. In an awning, an awning shaft, a plurality of awning' sectionsthereon having adjacent edges in proximity, a relatively short shaft,gearing on the awning' shaft, between the approximate edges of theawning sections and connected to said short shaft, and a covering-strip,narrow relativelyy to the awning sections and adapted to be wound uponsaid short shaft.

In testimony whereof I aixed my signature in presence of two witnesses,this 17th day of January 1907.

FRIEDERICI-I THOMS.

Witnesses F. M. BARTEL, M. R. SEELY.

